In this day and age, this wouldn't be seen as any sort of big deal. Her show was canceled soon after. "The first TV show I had ever been on, and I credit Betty White for really getting me started in show business, in television," he said. This took place in 1954: when American society was still organized on the basis of hard racial lines, and segregation was considered the norm. The show was a daytime talk show that also featured entertainment segments that are typical of variety shows. After just one appearance, Duncan was asked to remain onThe Lawrence Welk Show, making him the first Black regular on a variety show. Arthur Duncan was honored in 2004 and 2006 at the Tap Extravaganza in New York and the 15th Annual St. Louis Tap Dance Festival. Supervising Producer, Yahoo Entertainment, Arthur Duncan, an 83-year-old tap dancer, was on the premiere of, It was a big opportunity for Arthur, who turned it into a career in show business that has lasted more than 60 years. Contact White gave it to him, he recounted in the 2018 documentary Betty White: First Lady of Television.. She made sure to strengthen causes that needed backing, those that required people to break the mold and upset the masses. In 1954, Betty White was criticized after having Arthur Duncan, a black tap dancer, on her show. It was also the year segregation in public schools was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. Well, Betty wrote back and said, Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could. Arthur Duncan, pioneering Black tap dancer, dies at 97 Championed by Betty White at the start of his career, he became one of the first Black regulars on a TV variety show. In 1954, #BettyWhite was criticized after having Arthur Duncan, a Black tap dancer, on her show. # DidYouKnow In 1954, # BettyWhite was criticized after having Arthur Duncan, a Black tap dancer, on her show. She was fond of leveraging her power to extend empathy towards those who were far less privileged than her. Duncan was later discovered by big band leaderLawrence Welk who invited him onto his ABC variety show. NBC first aired in 1954. Her response: "I'm sorry. kw: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', She is older than Mickey Mouse. When she was encouraged to take him offbecause of the color of his skin,she politely declined. "She never wanted to leave her home in Carmel, but was forced to for at-home care," a source told The Post. Betty White received criticism for having Duncan as a tap dancer in her own show The Betty White Show (1954). divId: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-1', White hired Arthur Duncan as a dancer on her show. Later on, Arthur was discovered by Sam Lutz, Lawrence Welks personal manager and was invited to perform as part of Welks musical family.. Registry of Corporate Directors. He typically performed one solo routine per episode, scored by the Lawrence Welk Orchestra, but also frequently danced with peers Bobby Burgess and Jack Imel. The entertainer, in her early 30s at the time, was center stage, speaking to the young Black tap dancer seated on her right. And it only escalated after NBC rolled out the show nationally, with Southern viewers threatening to boycott the network if White didnt remove Duncan from the lineup. Duncan was already a regular on the show which featured performances by White and others, interviews, skits and even a kids segment before it was added to NBCs national lineup in 1954. "I was on the show and they had letters from Mississippi and elsewhere that some of the stations would not carry the show if I was permitted to stay on there," Duncan recalled said in a 2017 interview onSteve Harvey's "Little Big Shots: Forever Young.". Barack and I join so many around the world who will miss the joy she brought to the world. } Be like Betty White. So it was a minor coup when Betty White got her own show in 1954 with full creative control. Amid the overt racism,The Betty White Show may have also been quietly sabotaged by brands who chose to stay away from the controversy. She set the standard, and we will forever be grateful. But this was 1954 and racial inequality was still rife. "Well, Betty wrote back and said: 'needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could,'" he said. With substantial clout, she developed her own variety show in 1954 and wasted no time giving talented performers a shot. tude.cmd.push(function() { A long and successful career followed, including several film and TV appearances. She knew exactly what was right and what was wrong, and didnt let the status quo defer her from taking a stand. Among White's decisions as host and producer were to hire a female director and make Arthur Duncan, who is Black, a series regular. kw: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', "I'm sorry, but, you know, he stays," White said,according to a PBS biography. In the 1950s, representation on television was still a controversial subject, and the gatekeepers of the industry werent even keen on having women run shows. Thats when the show was renamed after White, and she took over as both host and producer. It was the first time in over 60 years that Arthur Duncan and Betty White had appeared on stage together. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on, Justin Timberlake posts sweet birthday message for 'dream of a partner' Jessica Biel, Tom Sizemore, star of 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'Heat,' dies at 61 after brain aneurysm, Josh Hartnett is done talking about his break from Hollywood but ready to make fun of actors: 'We're the worst', Michael B. Jordan admits muscle gain for 'Creed' has been harder as he's gotten older, Billy Bush suggests Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes start their own show after ABC exit: 'They've got something that works'. A tap dancer with remarkable skill, Arthur Duncan was the first African American to be hired as a series regular on the variety shows of early television. Duncan, who is black, was on the show when it went national and southern states started complaining about his inclusion in the show. I know our Bo is looking forward to seeing her up in heaven. About page_type: 'article', She extended his airtime instead, and responded to racists with "I'm sorry. In 1954, Betty White created and hosted her own daily variety and talk show, The Betty White Show. ', Betty White's quips and quotes through the years, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. As in, before the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Little Rock Nine and the Greensboro, N.C., lunch-counter sit-ins. Privacy Policy Whats more intriguing is that this wasnt Bettys sole act of defiance within the show; she interviewed a Black child on the special when it was considered controversial to do so. "I said, 'I'm sorry, but he staysLive with it!'" Deal with it and gave Duncan more airtime. The producers wanted to remove him from the show, but White said "He stays. baseDivId: 'pb-slot-right-1', Later on, he became the first African-American regular on a variety program. Racial justice wasnt the only focus of her activism, either. The 98-year-old actress is loved by almost all and has had an unbelievably successful career spanning more than eight decades. He we as a tap dancer and singer who White was quite fond of and wanted to help him get more exposure. Background [ edit] A pioneer of early television with a career spanning almost seven decades, she was noted for her vast body of work in entertainment and for being one of the first women to work both in front of and behind the camera. In 1954 Betty White had a talk show and faced criticism for including a black tap dancer, Arthur Duncan, on her show. Duncan went on to become the first Black regular on a variety show when he was hired on 'The Lawrence Welk Show' and he continued on that show for another 20 years. But when the shows reach was extended beyond LA, Duncans inclusion as part of the cast made waves across the Jim Crow South. A Look at All of Betty White's Homes. Duncan performed alongside stars like actress Jayne Mansfield, singer Jerry Colonna, comedian Hedda Hopper, and the Les Brown orchestra in places like Pearl Harbor, Korea, Okinawa, and Guam. subcat: '', He is a Black Tap Dancer. That solved everything at the time.. (1954) nem adtak t djat (1955) Nanette Fabray (1956) Nanette Fabray (1957) Jane Wyatt (1958) When she was encouraged to take him off because of the color of his skin, she politely declined.. In 1954, Betty White rejected pressure to stop featuring tap dancer Arthur Duncan on her show because he was Black A file photo of Betty White. Sometimes this involved putting her own reputation on the line, and still, she didnt back down. After MLKs home was bombed, he refused to back down: This movement will not stop, The brave, forgotten Kansas lunch counter sit-in that helped change America, Sam Howell is the Commanders first-string QB for now, Nationals relievers see benefit in tinkering with new pitches, Kyle Kuzma, Wizards start fast and dont look back in win over Raptors. So the next time you blame someones bigotry on their times, remember Betty White. He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. Arthur Duncans tap-dancing skills were undeniable. - Wikipedia-----Video originally shared on archive.orgShared for historical purposes. "I'm. cat: 'entertainment', Her response: "I'm sorry. Arthur Duncan became the first Black regular on a televised American variety show. As producer of her own show, White decided to give Duncan a national platform to share those skills with the rest of the country. Left: Arthur Duncan/Betty White Show/NBC Right: American actor Betty White wearing a veiled hat, circa 1955. } White, a boundary-breaking television star by 1952, then became the first woman to produce a sitcom, Life with Elizabeth, which she also starred in. ', 'What could be better than show business? Her show was cancelled afterwards. Duncan went on to have alustrouscareer inshow business and gained fame for being the first Black performer on The Lawrence Welk Show,according to The Library of Congress. With Betty White's passing at the age of 99, this internet meme about White refusing to ban Arthur Duncan, an African American dancer, from the cast of her television variety show in 1954, is getting wide circulation. Shed been a progressive since day one, and its because of people like her that we were able to delegitimize hateful sentiments that had dominated the country in those years. Betty White (1954), (Bettmann/contributor/Getty images) . Duncan reserved high praise for White during an appearance in a 2018 documentary about her titled 'Betty White: First Lady of Television.' When she was encouraged to take him off because of the color of his skin, she politely declined. Live with it." and gave Duncan more airtime. At a time when racial segregation was at boiling point, there were strong calls from different quarters to remove a tap dancer named Arthur Duncan from her show. as well as other partner offers and accept our. The comedian passed away on December 31, 2021, just weeks away from what would have been her 100th birthday. Arthur said, "She . # ThankYouForBeingAFriend 11:37 AM - 31 Dec 2021 10,874 Retweets 54,906 Likes Born on Sept. 25, 1933, in Pasadena, California, Arthur Duncan gravitated to the life of a performer from a very young age. } By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider 4. pic.twitter.com/toipvY9cyQ. The first TV show I had ever been on, and I credit Betty White for really getting me started in show business, in television, he said. He was a 13-year-old student when he joined the dance quartet at McKinley Junior High School and began studying under renowned choreographer Nick Castle. He went on to have a decades-long career as one of the first famous Black tap dancers in the US. Twitter shares wild and wonderful stories about Betty White, who died Dec. 31, 2021. . White's team of talent included Black performer Arthur Duncan, who was about 21 at the time and looking for his big break. Betty White, to put it simply, is a national. In the early 1950s, White faced criticism for featuring Arthur Duncan, a Black tap dancer and singer, on a few episodes of her variety talk show The Betty White Show.. After the Pacific tour, Duncan spent several years performing at countless venues across Europe. Arthur said, I was on the show, and they had some letters out of Mississippi and elsewhere that some of the stations would not carry the show if I was permitted to stay on there. See, back in 1954 Betty White served as the host and producer of The Betty White Show, a comedic variety show that was geared toward families and entertainment. The legendary dancer discussed how Betty White gave him his first job on. Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. She pledged her support for same-sex marriage, saying, If a couple has been together all that time and there are gay relationships that are more solid than some heterosexual ones I think its fine if they want to get married. Additionally, she didnt understand how some people could be anti-something. She was a proponent of minding her business, standing up for the oppressed, and carving her unique place in the culture through entertainment. When Duncan told White, "I hope we have a chance to visit after this is over," she replied, "Oh, I hope so. Steve Harvey's "Little Big Shots: Forever Young.". Tai Saint-Louis January 2, 2022 6442 Arthur Duncan and Betty White, reunited by Steve Harvey As the world mourns actress and comedienne Betty White, who passed away on Dec. 31, many are. Life With Elizabeth ran until 1955; during 1954, White simultaneously presented her own variety show, her second Betty White show. Arthur, did you have a nice weekend? Betty White asked Arthur Duncan. 1937) Casey Hayden, 85, civil rights activist (b. Now she wants restitution. Case in point: when she rallied to have a Black tap dancer perform on her show despite the audience pushing for his expulsion. Live with it." She then gave Duncan even more airtime. Live with it. Then, she gave Duncan even more airtime when he appeared on the show twice more. White continued to resist the pressurecoming from stations in the South and used Duncanmore, until the show was canceled in 1954 the same year segregationin public schools was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. If White, 99, had it her way, she would have remained at her longtime marital home in Carmel, which she first built with her late husband, Allen Ludden, when they bought the land in 1978.
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